Baby boomers’ renovation needs are expected to accelerate: Property Brothers

To better accommodate their needs as they age, baby boomer homeowners will likely need to renovate their homes to more easily accomplish goals related to aging in place and living in a safer, more comfortable dwelling. This is according to housing experts Jonathan and Drew Scott in a conversation with Yahoo Finance.

The Scotts are the eponymous “Property Brothers” from the TV series of the same name, broadcast in the U.S. on HGTV. The show often features the brothers — one involved in real estate and the other involved as a contractor in renovations — locate homes, fix them up and resell them.

They chimed in on the baby boomer housing situation and aging in place in a recent podcast discussion.

“There will be more boomers entering the era where they’re going to need to stay in a facility that accommodates seniors,” Jonathan Scott said during the episode.

While some may choose to move out of their homes, this could also create issues for new inventory that may require some kind of renovation work. But for those opting to age in place, the renovations will be needed for safety and comfort in older age, he added.

The brothers’ perspectives on the desire for older homeowners to remain in their homes in later life is largely derived from the experiences of their parents, they explained.

“They’re trying to find a place where they can age in place,” Drew Scott said. “They want this to be their last home, so [we are] thinking of how we can maximize the space for them to enjoy.”

One of the best tools to assist with fashioning homes for aging-in-place goals is through the use of modern smart-home technology, something that has a large swath of support among older Americans. But the tech implementation piece also applies to things like smart appliances, they said.

“[T]he technology is so key,” Drew said. “There are ranges or ovens that will shut off automatically.”

If a person struggles with remembering things, a smart oven that can shut off automatically is a key safety enhancement, Jonathan added. But other elements that can be incorporated — including enhanced leak notification and protection — can also prove beneficial in preventing falls, a major source of health problems for older people.

“There’s so much tech that you can control from your phone that keeps every aspect of your home safe,” Drew added.

Aging in place needs to have an empowering effect on the seniors who choose to remain in their homes. A big stride in that direction can come from home modifications, the pair explained.

“We don’t want [our parents] just to feel like they’re surviving. They need to thrive in that space and to feel that independence in their home,” Drew said.